THOU SHALT NOT KILL
By
Dr. Gale A. Ragan-Reid (May 25, 2018)
“Thou shalt not kill.” (Exodus 20:13, King James Version, [Ten commandments])
Greetings in the Holy Name of Jesus,
My sisters and brothers let us firstly pray:
Heavenly Father, I just want to say thank you for the gifted promise of everlasting life. I want to thank you for a peaceful understanding that surpasses all innuendoes in circumstances that baffle the heart and the mind. Lord, this is a blessed day, indeed, blessed beyond reasonable expectations. Considering all---I thank you for the morning dew, I thank you for the moon that is a reflection of the light of the sun.
I thank you for abounding joy that comes every morning. Indeed, I am so happy in my gift of life and gift of grace, from our Lord and Savior, Christ Jesus. Help us to grow more like Christ Jesus, each and every day, He, who made all things possible and He, who from the beginning provided the light, for the light of day is Jesus. Yes! Lord.
Let there be Light. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John1:1, KJV). Thank you for this little light of mine. I will let it shine---resplendently so, in Jesus Name. God bless.
Amen.
Most importantly, we must reflect on how devastatingly diminishing it is for the spirit of Christ Jesus to dwell in a man or woman who takes life, even anger at his brother because the act of murder also tries to take away the gift of reconciliation. Let us not forget the murderous act of Jesus’ death crushed even his betrayer Judas Iscariot’s heart---murder was in him[Mark 7:18-19,KJV; Matthew 15:18-19, KJV “But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: these are the things which defile a man: ….”], for he also
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killed his own life [Matthew 26:14-16; 27:3-5, KJV [Judas selleth Jesus; Judas hanged himself]---committed suicide because of the part he played in taking the life of Jesus, mocking God’s grace through Christ more with the law, an eye for an eye, a life for a life. We must reflect how this sin crushes the human spirit, for this sin, Thou shalt not kill, is not without all the other sins, for most definitively a person who holds other gods before the living God Almighty, is a murderer---a killer of faith [“For he is not a God of the dead, but of the living, for all live unto him, Luke 20:38, KJV; James 2:20, KJV “…that faith without works is dead”]. What reason you in your heart [Luke 5:20-24,KJV], for we could easily say, and so on and so forth, but I think it is important to go through the Ten Commandments, in order to significantly impact your thoughts, for surely a person who is a murderer also will try to replicate the images of heaven and make himself or herself graven images to bow down to, killing Jesus again---putting another nail in his coffin/putting another stone in front of his tomb, to kill the resurrection power that Jesus had in his grave/in his tomb. Interestingly enough a person who takes the LORD GOD’s name in vain, is also a murderer, for there is power in the Name of God Almighty (Yahweh), power in the Name of Jesus, mocking the NAME by using it in a way that is disrespectful such as swearing, “I swear by my Father God in heaven, I’ll kill him dead if he ever touches me!” or “For Christ’s sake, I swear he is the walking dead.” (Matthew 5:33-34, KJV [The sermon of the mount]).
More importantly, the polar opposite of living a God-fearing life obeying the commandments and statutes is denying---laying aside [Mark 7:8, KJV] the Sabbath, the set aside day --- rejecting it as not important, which undoubtedly kills the flesh and kills the spirit for working beyond six days and laboring beyond six days, denies that God blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it. How long will you pretend God’s Sabbath day was not blessed as a Holy day for rest---killing the flesh and killing the spirit? Yes, we know King David ate the holy shewbread in the temple and fed his troops (his men)[I Samuel 21:3-6, KJV] for it was better to do so, for in King David was the blessed seeded promise of Christ Jesus---letting you know that all holiness and righteousness is in Christ Jesus, for the people cried for the saving of souls, “Thou son of David, have mercy on me.” [Mark 10:46-47, KJV, blind Bartimaeus sat by the highway begging] however, unbeknownst to man at the time that David entered in the holy temple and did eat of the showbread---Jesus followed and said, “Do this in remembrance of me as often as possible”,--- eat the bread and drink the wine [I Corinthians 11:24-26, KJV]. I know I have found myself on the other side of rest, on the Sabbath, pushing towards goals to make a difference, in life, in general, and specifically, for my lifestyle—to lessen my sufferings. I thank my Lord and Savior, Christ Jesus, for making a way to get the work done, in God’s grace through the holiness and righteousness of Christ Jesus. For I remember an ancestor said, “Don’t get caught with your work not done”, meaning don’t face death with all your work left undone.
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Henceforth, how do you see yourself as you look in the mirror? Do you see yourself as the bride of Christ Jesus --- the church? Well, surely your adulterous ways is death to your relationship to God, killing the spirit that loves God --- when you sin by cheating on God with other gods, for the sin is against God. What about God’s forgiveness and the gift of reconciliation? [“And Jesus answering said unto them, The children of this world marry, and are given in marriage: But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage: neither can they die anymore: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection.” Luke 20:34-35, KJV].
Are not the relationship dead between you and him yet you pray to Jesus to resurrect you up out of death to receive the gift of eternal life--- so that you might go on living? Well, when you ask for forgiveness---for your murderous act, do you also ask God’s forgiveness for the lies you told against your neighbor and for coveting you neighbor’s house, wife, manservant, maidservant ox, ass, and anything that is your neighbor’s [Exodus 20:17, KJV, Ten Commandments]. The wages of sin is death. Death is the enemy.
What part do you not understand of --- that part, which is supposed to give you understanding, if only you believe, then you receive the gift of God’s grace is leaving you behind yet you a murderer, in Christ Jesus, a sinner of all the sins for to break any one sin is to break all the sins, risk receiving not the gift of the power of redemption. LORD GOD have mercy, on our souls, in the Name of Jesus.
With that said there was a man who killed, planned to kill and did kill---got away with it, --- in the faces of all the local folks, to see, they could not touch him. What do you say of the law? Do you say he received grace? How disturbing for you are the series of events and all the players who witnessed his release and contributed to his release?
You think out-loud to everyone, is a man more condemned when he admits he killed or is he less condemned when he admits he killed? O’LORD, SAVE ME. WHY WOULD GOD LET HIM GET AWAY WITH THAT MURDEROUS ACT ---TAKING A LIFE AND LET A KILLER CONTINUE TO LIVE AMONGST US, IN THE CHURCH? Would you much rather sit next to a thief, in church?
Furthermore, what about a liar ---even an adulterer, a coveter? Just because sinners do not wear tags on their clothes like name tags, could you sit next to a killer---a cold-blood killer, who planned to kill, did kill, and who got away with it. Could you line up behind him or her in the procession to Christ Jesus, “Come to Jesus”? LORD, HELP ME TO PRAY! “And when the scribes and Pharisees saw him eat with publicans and sinners, they said unto his disciples, How is it that he eateth and drinketh with publicans and sinners? When Jesus heard it, he saith unto them, they that are whole have no need of
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the physician, but they that are sick: I came not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.” (Mark 2: 16-17, KJV [Matthew is called]).
In closing, folks silence is still golden; however, God still hears what is in your heart and mind. “Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man” (Luke21:36, KJV, {The last supper]). “Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice. And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation” (John 5:28-29, KJV). The will of God prevails:
“For I came down from heaven, not to do mine own will, but the will of him that sent me. And this is the Father’s will which hath sent me, that of all which he hath given me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up again at the last day. And this is the will of him that sent me, that every one which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life: and I will raise him up at the last day.” (John 6:38-40, KJV).
“Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:31-32, KJV[Christ justifieth his doctrine])
Amen.
